Faithfully
by LiveLoveLaughLife
Summary: Lanie decides that it's time for Beckett to stop wallowing and go get her man. Beckett isn't so sure. It's a good thing Lanie's never taken no for an answer. Castle/Beckett fluff.
1. Girl, You Stand By Me

A/N: Hey, Castle fans! Wow, it's been a really long time since I've written or read anything for Castle. I was listening to the song _Faithfully _by Journey (actually, I was listening to the Glee Cast version which is a little bit different) and this story came out of no where. I included some of the lyrics but this isn't a song fic. Like I said, I haven't been a very active Castle fanfic reader lately so this may have been done before. If it has, tell me and I'll take it down immediately. This story is a kind of post-finale fic. It looks like it's going to be about three chapters, four tops. So, with all that said, enjoy! :) Oh, and please review so I know if anyone's interested!

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle!

* * *

Kate Beckett stared moodily out the window of her apartment. She watched the people walk along the busy New York streets as the sun began to sink in the sky. It was one of the first times that she had been home before dark in a _long_ time. She found herself wishing she had a case to solve.

Of course, solving cases wouldn't be the same. _He_ wasn't here. _He_ was off frolicking in the Hamptons with his ex-wife.

"Stop it." Kate growled, and pulled herself away from the window and towards her rarely-used couch. She flopped down on it and flipped the TV on. She could distract herself with mind-numbing sitcoms for a little while, at least.

She made it half way through an episode of_ Seinfeld_ until her thoughts began to wander. Everything reminded her of _him_. He hadn't even been gone for two weeks yet, but she couldn't stop thinking about him, or the way she felt around him. The way her stomach seemed to flutter when he touched her, or the pleasure she got by outwitting him. It was driving her crazy.

"Get a _grip_, Kate." She hissed. Then she rolled her eyes. "Talking to myself. That's the first sign of insanity."

Grabbing a pillow, she covered her face and leaned back until she was laying down. She let out a muffled groan and closed her eyes. Since when did Kate Beckett turn into a wallowing little girl over some stupid guy? It wasn't like you could even call him a guy. _Boy_ was more the word.

Her phone chirped, then, alerting her to a text message. Kate jumped up, thankful for the distraction. She reached for her phone, which was resting on the coffee table in front of her, and flipped it open. The message was from Lanie, and said only five words: _I'll see you in 5_.

Kate's eyebrows pulled together, but she didn't question it. Years of being friends with Lanie had taught her that it was better to just go along with what her best friend wanted. Arguing tended to be pointless. Exactly five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Kate trudged over to open it, revealing her smiling friend holding up a large bottle of alcohol.

"You look like you could use a little pick-me-up." Lanie smiled and breezed past Kate without a second thought.

Beckett was left to shut the door and shake her head as Lanie disappeared into the kitchen. A moment later and both Lanie and Beckett were sitting on the couch with glasses of whiskey in their hands, and the open bottle on the coffee table in front of them.

"I really don't feel like drinking." Kate said, eyeing the liquid and then her friend.

"Sweetie, you need it. _Trust me_."

Kate rolled her eyes, but she downed the glass. When she looked back up she saw Lanie staring at her. She wiped her mouth self-consciously and asked, "What?"

"I think you know what." Lanie raised her eyebrows, and leaned back into the cushions. She propped her feet up on the coffee table and took a sip of her drink while Kate poured another for herself.

"What's the point of this?" Kate sighed and waved the bottle of alcohol towards Lanie. "If you're trying to, I don't know, get me to cry over _him_ then I hate to tell you that it isn't going to happen."

"I think it's interesting that you're the one who brought _him_ up."

Kate's cheeks burned, and she focused on draining another glass. She busied herself with pouring a third but stopped when she felt Lanie's hand on her arm.

"Katie," Lanie looked at her sadly. "It's time to stop lying to yourself."

"I'm _not_." The detective snapped back. She stood up. "Are you hungry? I am."

Lanie sighed and watched Kate retreat into the kitchen. This may have been harder than she thought. It was time to break out the big guns. Pulling out her iPod, Lanie set it to a certain playlist and waited until she saw Kate coming back to hit play.

"What are you doing?" Kate sat back down, depositing crackers, spray cheese, and a bowl of strawberries on the table in front of them.

"I figured we could use some music." Lanie shrugged then narrowed her eyes at the food. "Interesting choice of snacks, there, Becks."

"It's all I had."

"We really need to take you shopping." Lanie chuckled, and reached for a strawberry.

The two of them sat quietly, eating, drinking, and listening as Lanie's iPod played. Lanie watched Kate discreetly when one of her favorite songs came on…a song that just happened to remind her of Kate and a certain author.

_"Highway run into the midnight sun. Wheels go round and round, you're on my mind."_

Kate seemed to be completely oblivious to the music, and Lanie discreetly pushed the iPod closer to her. There had to be a way to break through the detectives shell.

_"Restless hearts sleep alone tonight. Sending all my love along the wire."_

The song continued, and Kate began to fidget uncomfortably. _Score_, Lanie thought, suppressing a smile.

_"Oh, boy, you stand by me."_

Beckett busied her hands with another glass of alcohol. She tried not to pay attention to the stupid love song that Lanie just had to play, but couldn't help it. Her thoughts flickered to the man she had dubbed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the last time they had seen each other. He had definitely _not_ stood by her…he'd decided she wasn't good enough for the Hamptons, but his ex-wife was.

_"I'm forever yours…faithfully."_

"Can we please stop listening to this?" Kate made a grab for the iPod, but Lanie pulled it out of the way just in time. Kate glared at her friend, seriously considering tackling her. "Lanie, this isn't funny anymore, okay? Please stop."

"This is for your own good, Kate!" Lanie sat up, squared her shoulders, and got right in Kate's face. "You've been wandering around like a lost puppy since he left, and it's going to stop _right now_. You love that boy, don't even try to hide it. Everyone knows. Hell, Ryan and Esposito even have a bet going on about when you two hook up. And you know what? He loves you too! Yeah, he decided to take his ex-wife with him to the Hamptons, but so what? He asked _you_ first. It's time to go after your man, Beckett! _You love Richard Castle_!"

Kate stared at Lanie, speechless, while her friend stared right back at her. The seconds ticked by and neither of them spoke or even moved. Then, Kate closed her eyes.

"Lanie—," She started.

"Say it, Becks."

Kate opened her now-glassy eyes to stare at Lanie. The medical examiner didn't seem fazed at all by Kate's change in demeanor.

"Say it." Lanie said again.

"I…," Kate shook her head. "I can't, I—,"

"Say it!"

"I love him!" Kate yelled, anger at Lanie, and Castle, and just everything in general seeping into her voice. "I love everything about him! I love the irritating way he outsmarts me sometimes, and I love bickering, and I love the way he puts his hand on my back, and the way his eyes sparkle, and how he annoys me, and that he saved my life, and based a book character on me, and called me extraordinary and…and…everything." Kate was nearly breathless, tears glistening in her eyes. "I love _him_, okay? I love Rick Castle!"

Lanie smiled and pulled her friend in for a tight hug. "That 'a girl, Kate."

Lanie couldn't help but laugh when she heard Kate's muffled, "I hate you."

"Look on the bright side," The ME pulled back and watched as Beckett wiped her eyes. "Now that you've admitted it, you can go get your man."

"What? No. No! I can't just—,"

"Oh yes, you can. And you will." Lanie grinned. "And your best friend is going to be there for moral support while also enjoying the many benefits of the Hamptons."

"I can't—,"

"Tell me that you haven't thought of about ten million different scenarios where you and Castle end up together." When Kate stayed quiet, Lanie nodded. "That's what I thought. Well, Becks…this is your chance to make one of those scenarios a reality. Just go for it."

"What about Gina?"

"Forget that she exists." Lanie leaned into Kate, bumping her shoulder in camaraderie. "You can do this, girl. I have faith in you."

"I don't." Beckett chewed on her bottom lip and let her head fall back against the couch. "I don't just show up places, Lanie. That's not me. I'm not that kind of girl—,"

"Well maybe it's time to start." Lanie stretched and stood up, straightening her clothes. "I'll be here at six o'clock sharp tomorrow morning. I don't care if you're ready to go or not, I'm dragging your little white butt to the Hamptons."

Kate watched as Lanie let herself out. When the door was shut and Kate was alone once again, she leaned back into her couch and took a deep breath. What the _hell_ was she getting herself into?


	2. Lost Without You

A/N: I got _sixteen _reviews! For one chapter! Wow! Thank you so, so, so much everyone, it means the world to me. I've seriously been grinning like an idiot for about an hour now :). I expected to get maybe five reviews, tops. I didn't think anyone would be that interested in this, haha. My mind is totally blown away! Plus, I can't even count the amount of favorites and alerts. Thank you so, so much to everyone who read the first chapter and I hope you like this one. Somehow the Castle finale got deleted off of my DVR, so I couldn't rewatch it to make sure my facts were right about the Hamptons, and I kind of assumed that Castle had a beach house. I'm sorry if that's wrong but just pretend, okay? It's fiction for a reason :). Also, I have no idea how long it takes to get to the Hamptons from the city and when I googled it I got answers ranging from two hours to five hours, so I picked a happy medium. Sorry for the super long author's note. Please review!

* * *

"I'll have the blueberry pancakes, thanks."

The waitress turned her gaze to Kate, who was sitting with her elbows on the table and her face covered by her hands. When she felt the waitress' nervous gaze, Kate glanced up.

"Nothing for me." She said. "Thanks."

Lanie shot a look at Kate, then smiled at the waitress. "She'll have the same as me."

The waitress nodded, promised them their food would be out shortly, and left the table. Lanie glared at Kate.

"If you want to go kick some publisher butt you need to eat breakfast."

Beckett groaned and pushed her face farther into her upturned palms. "I want to go back. This is a huge mistake. I want to go home."

"We're already here!" Lanie exclaimed. "I got up at 5:30, on a _Saturday_ no less, and drove for three hours to haul your butt to the Hamptons to get your man. We are not going back."

"I can't do this!" Kate peered through a gap in her fingers at Lanie. "I'll just wait to see him until the fall. If I do this it's just going to cause problems. Plus, he's happy with Gina! I don't want to interfere!"

"There's a reason she's his _ex_-wife." Lanie emphasized. "Trust me, girl, he'll be jumping for joy when he sees you."

Beckett groaned.

"Quit being such a drama queen."

Kate didn't dignify her with a response, and continued to slouch in her chair and worry. What was she going to say? '_Oh, hey, Castle. Guess what? I love you!' _didn't seem like such a good idea. And what was she going to do if Castle told her that he was in love with Gina? What if he was planning to get remarried? This would ruin everything. They wouldn't even be able to be friends anymore. It didn't help matters that her head was aching from all the alcohol she drank the night before.

Beckett jumped when the waitress placed a plate of pancakes on the table in front of her. Lanie smiled and thanked her, and Beckett just stared moodily at the food.

"Eat," Lanie reached over and poked Kate's arm with a fork. "It'll make you more confident."

Reluctantly, Kate ate a few bites of pancake. She spent the majority of the time pushing it around on her plate, only eating when she caught sight of Lanie's glare. After about half an hour, Lanie paid and the two of them walked outside into the warm air towards the car.

"Please take me home." Kate had threatened, bribed, and was finally reducing herself to pleading. Lanie raised her eyebrows and then climbed in the car. Beckett sat down on the passenger side and prayed to whatever God would listen that Lanie would take her home.

"Apparently Castle's house is _ah-ma-zing_." Lanie said, pulling her car out of the parking space and then easily merging with the traffic on the road. She acted as if Beckett hadn't spoken at all, just like she'd been every time Kate had complained. It was getting kind of annoying for the detective.

"How do you know that?" Kate shot her a questioning look, her curiosity winning out over her annoyance. "How do you even know where Castle's house _is_?" She hadn't thought of it earlier because she'd been so worried, but now she realized she had absolutely no idea where Castle was in the Hamptons.

"I have sources." Lanie smiled deviously, then rolled her eyes. "Montgomery gave me the address when I told him we'd be missing work for a little while."

Kate didn't respond, she just stared out the window. She watched as the huge beach houses flashed by. Everything was so beautiful, so _perfect_. It was definitely a higher class than she was used to. She caught glimpses of the ocean between some of the houses, and realized that it had been years since the last time she'd seen it. She knew she was a workaholic but, well, it didn't really dawn on her until just then.

When Lanie turned into the driveway of an enormous, beautiful, beach house, Kate began to panic.

"Here we are." Lanie turned the car off and looked at Kate. "Ready?"

"_No_."

"I wonder if Castle's even up yet." Lanie pressed a button to make the clock on the dash light up. It read 10:25. "Well," Lanie undid her seatbelt and opened her door. "I guess it's time to find out."

"Stop! Lanie! _Stop_!" Kate jumped out of the car, desperate to catch up to her friend and stop her from doing this if it killed her.

"Beckett," Lanie put her hands on her hips. "We are here, _in __front of his house_. It's time to woman up!"

"But—,"

"Hello?"

Kate's blood ran cold and her eyes widened comically. Lanie was surprised, too, but was the first to recover. She turned around and sent a huge smile towards Gina, who was standing on the porch in a bathrobe holding the door open, confusion the prominent emotion on her face. Kate took a deep breath. This was it.

"Gina, hi." It was Lanie who spoke up first. "I'm really sorry to bother you here during the summer, but Beckett really needs to talk to Castle."

"Oh." Recognition seemed to dawn on Gina then, and her eyes moved towards Beckett. "Oh. Detective Beckett, it's nice to see you again." She smiled, and Kate smiled back, feeling sort of like a statue. "Come in, come in." Gina said, and held the door open for the two women.

"Thank you," Kate said quietly, and Gina led her and Lanie into a huge kitchen.

"Rick's down on the beach." Gina leaned against the counter. "I can go get him if you'd like."

"No, that's alright." Lanie said quickly. "Actually, Kate wanted to talk to him about something top secret, so…," She trailed off.

"Oh, a case?" Gina's eyebrows rose in interest. "That's almost all Rick's talked about since we got here." She smiled and walked over to a sliding glass door. She pulled it back and pointed down a small path leading to the ocean. "If you just follow the path down you'll be able to spot him. He's going to be so thrilled to see you. Maybe with his muse back he'll actually write something worth reading."

Kate smiled slightly at Gina, shot a panicked look at Lanie, and then stepped out into the warm summer air. The door shut behind her, and she realized that she was on her own. This was it.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she started slowly on the path towards the beach. Her mind was whirring a mile a minute, trying to think of something to say. She was going to make an idiot out of herself. She knew it.

She was about halfway down the path when she spotted Castle's figure in the distance. He was sitting on the sand, his legs stretched out in front of him, the waves lapping at his feet. Beckett's heart began to pound. He looked so carefree sitting there, relaxing, staring out at the beautiful ocean. She was going to ruin his peaceful summer.

Even though her instincts told her to turn around and run back to the car with her tail between her legs, she didn't. She knew Lanie would drag her back to the beach and handcuff her and Castle together if she had to, and that would just make this whole situation a lot worse. It was better to do this the way Kate wanted. That way at least she had _some_ control over what was going to happen.

When her feet met the sand, Kate was surprised. She'd been too busy thinking to realize her steps had sped up. She kicked off her shoes, taking her time, and silently thanked Lanie for forcing her to wear shorts. Taking one last deep breath, Kate stilled herself for what she was going to do, and started her trek across the sand. It was warm, not quite hot yet, and squished under her feet, reminding her of summer vacations back when she was a child.

She'd always loved the beach. When she was young it had been her dream to move to the beach somewhere, and spend every day laying on the sand and letting the waves wash away her worries. That all changed, though, after her mother's murder. She'd gotten a harsh dose of reality and hadn't even visited the beach again. Until now.

She was a few feet away from Castle now, and she stopped walking. After one quick glance over her shoulder to see if she could spot either Gina or Lanie, she opened her mouth to speak. Nothing came out.

Then everything happened at once. Castle sighed, stretched, and stood up. He turned around, looked at her, and his mouth fell open.

Kate stared back, equally dumbfounded.

It was like the world froze at that one particular moment in time. Castle stared at Kate, and Kate stared at Castle. Neither moved. Neither breathed.

And then, as sudden as it had happened, the world unthawed and Castle had a huge grin splitting his face in two.

"Beckett!" He exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Kate's mouth opened and closed a few times, but that didn't discourage Castle. He was in front of her in a moment, pulling her into a tight hug. Kate melted into his arms, and everything else melted away. Her worries, her fears, the reason why she was here…they all disappeared and left her head completely empty. A warm fuzzy feeling spread through her body and, before she knew it, she was hugging Castle back even tighter than he was hugging her.

"To what do I owe the visit?" Castle asked, chuckling, as he pulled back. He didn't pull away completely, keeping his arms around her back, and for that Beckett was thankful. His touch seemed to calm her worries a little bit.

"I…," She started, but didn't know how to finish.

Castle cocked his head, still smiling, and watched her in amusement. "Is there a case you can't crack? See, I always told you you needed me."

"No, that's not it." She said. She dropped her gaze and began to clam up.

"Kate, what's this about?" Castle's smile faded a little as he watched her have an internal debate with herself. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," She answered quickly, then bit her lip and looked at him. "No. It's not okay."

"What—?" His question was cut off as Kate leaned closer to him than she ever had before.

She could feel his breath on her lips. He could smell her shampoo.

Without thinking, she acted on her feelings, and leaned forward, kissing Castle the way she'd done only in her dreams.

His arms tightened around her and he kissed back.


	3. Forever Yours

A/N: Thanks for all of the amazing reviews! You're all seriously awesome. This is the last chapter, so I hope you like it :). I've been contemplating possibly making a sequel to this, but I'm not sure. I'm really, really horrible at writing chapter stories. So...I don't know. We'll see, I guess. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing. It means the world to me. I hope you like the last chapter! :)

* * *

_And being apart ain't easy on this love affair_

_Two strangers learn to fall in love again_

_I get the joy of rediscovering you_

_Oh, Girl_

_You stand by me_

_I'm forever yours…_

The world had stopped spinning on its axis the moment Kate Beckett leaned in to kiss Richard Castle. It was a move that she would never expect herself to do, not in a million years, and not even if someone bribed her. Kate Beckett was not the kind of girl to follow the man she loved to the Hamptons, and then kiss him on the beach because she couldn't think of any other way to convey her feelings.

Kate's mind seemed to catch up with her body a few moments after the kiss began. She realized what she'd done, but didn't pull away. Castle didn't either.

When the need for oxygen became too much to bear, they broke apart, their faces still inches away from each other as they breathed heavily. Kate didn't open her eyes. She wanted to stay in this contented bliss for as long as she could before the real world came crashing back down around her.

"Kate,"

It was Castle whispering her name that got through to her and, slowly, she lifted her eyelids and looked up. He was watching her, confused, but he didn't look angry. Just surprised and a little in shock.

"I'm sorry." Beckett breathed, and pulled back automatically. She stumbled back a few steps, putting some distance between her and Castle. She ran a shaky hand through her hair. "I shouldn't have…I'm sorry."

"Kate—,"

"I should go." She began to back up, muttering apologies, and then turned and took off running.

"Wait! Kate! Stop!" Castle took off after her.

Under normal circumstances, there was no way that Castle would've been able to catch up with her. She was in amazing physical condition, after all, and he…well…he wasn't. But this wasn't normal, and there was no way he was letting her go again. So, when he got close enough to reach out and grab her arm, he did.

Kate whirled around in shock. She clearly wasn't expecting Castle to come after her, despite how many fantasies she's had where he did just that. As she turned, her feet slid on the loose sand and she ended up reaching towards Castle, gripping his arm in an effort to stay standing. Her plan backfired as they both went tumbling to the ground, Castle landing half on top of Beckett.

"This wasn't exactly how I planned to stop you," Castle said, making sure his weight wasn't squishing her, and then admiring the way her hair was fanned out in the sand. "But I guess it works."

And then he leaned down and kissed her.

Everything had happened so fast. It was too fast, yet not fast enough, all at the same time. It wasn't even noon and yet, here Kate was, laying on a beach making out with Castle. It was times like this that she wondered how the universe worked. After all, if someone had asked her only yesterday what she'd do if she saw Castle before the fall, she would've said something along the lines of "Nothing."

Nothing was a whole lot different from laying in the sand kissing.

These were the thoughts that flickered through Kate's mind the moment Castle leaned in to capture her lips. The moment she felt his tongue skim across her bottom lip was when her mind went blank and the only thing she could do was _feel_. She felt the way Castle's lips moved, how he was an amazing kisser, and the way his hand was skimming up and down her side, playing with the bottom of her shirt. She wrapped one of her arms around him without knowing what she was doing, and pretty soon her hand was under his shirt, touching the smooth skin of chest.

As soon as it started, it was over, and Castle's face was hovering over her own. Beckett immediately untangled herself, letting her arms fall back onto the sand. She blinked her eyes a few times against the bright sun. Huh. She hadn't even realized she'd closed them.

Castle was staring down at her, and Kate had a very strong urge to start fidgeting. She didn't, though. She harnessed her inner Lanie and told her mind to shut the hell up. Then she met Castle's eyes with her own.

"I'm guessing you didn't come the whole way here just to make out on the beach." He said quietly. His breath skimmed across Kate's face and she felt a strange fluttery sensation fill her insides. Castle smiled.

He was looking at her like he expected her to say something, but Kate was at a loss. She'd never exactly planned out what she'd say to start with, but she was pretty sure it wouldn't have included laying in the sand with Castle on top of her. She opened her mouth, determined to say something smart and interesting that didn't make her look like a fool.

What came out of her mouth was a quiet, "Um…,"

Castle laughed, and the sunlight reflected in his eyes, making them twinkle at her. He pushed himself up and off of her until he was in a sitting position. Beckett sat up too and brushed some of the sand off of her clothing. She didn't get far, though, because Castle reached out and took hold of her hands, effectively stilling them.

Kate glanced up at him, and his normal smile was gone, replaced by a more grown-up and sensitive one.

"Talk to me here." He said, giving her hands a squeeze. "Why did you come?"

Kate swallowed, her mouth suddenly feeling very, very dry. She thought over her words for a moment, and then blurted, "I missed you."

Castle's gaze softened. "Good, because I missed you too."

Kate's eyes widened. "Really?" She couldn't help the surprise in her voice. She was shocked. "I mean, I just thought that with Gina here you, um, wouldn't really have time to think about anything else. Except your book. I know you came here to write but you and Gina were so happy in the precinct before you left that I just assumed that you were doing more than writing. Oh, God, I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry, I…um…," She trailed off, realizing how the word vomit just kept coming. She clamped her mouth shut and Castle watched her with an amused expression.

"Okay…first, of course I missed you. You're Kate Beckett. How could I _not_ miss you?" He realized he was still holding her hands and squeezed them again. "And as for Gina, she is my publicist and _only_ my publicist. I guess after we talked for hours on the phone that night I could only remember the good times." He shrugged. "Trust me, Beckett. There's a reason she's my _ex_-wife."

"So you're not…you're not…," Kate let her voice trail off again.

"I'm not what?"

"You're not dating her?" Kate glanced at the sand, suddenly finding it very, very interesting.

Castle laughed. "No. No, no, no. Gina's here because I didn't want to spend the whole summer alone." He let go of Kate's hands, finally, but positioned himself closer to her. "So are you going to tell me what's going on in here?" He reached up and tapped her forehead.

Kate swatted his hand away. "You want the truth?" She waited for Castle's nod before she continued, staring at the sand and nervously drawing patterns. "I missed you the moment you left. I…I don't like going to work because you aren't there. It's not the same."

"And you couldn't wait to get rid of me earlier this year." He said, smiling, and leaned towards her. "Kate, I—," He stopped talking abruptly, his smile slowly slipping off his face. "What about Demming?" Castle said the name with a little more force than necessary.

Kate looked up, shocked. She hadn't thought of Demming since she broke it off with him the day Castle left. She'd been so busy missing Castle that she'd almost completely forgotten about Demming's existence.

"We're over." She said quickly, eyeing Castle's expression. "I broke up with him the day you left."

"Really? Why?" He asked, looking shocked. "I mean, I'm sorry."

Kate smiled. Castle looked anything but sorry. "I broke up with him because I realized he was second best. He's an amazing guy but not the one I want."

"Who is the one you want?"

Kate looked at him, and his almost giddy expression at her breaking up with Demming was replaced by a more serious one. His lips were still tilted up in a small smile, but he looked more intense. When Kate didn't say anything, Castle laced his fingers with hers.

He opened his mouth and spoke softly. "If I was writing this scene, I would tell you that I'm positive he wants you too."

Beckett's heart skipped a few beats.

"You aren't writing this scene." She said, her voice breathy and slightly strained.

"But I am telling you that you aren't going to be disappointed."

Kate looked up at Castle, into his warm eyes, and she decided to just do it. To take the plunge.

"I want you."

The smile that spread across Castle's mouth outshone the sun.

"I'm yours."

…_faithfully_

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

Lanie looked from Kate to Castle, a smile lighting up her face. "I'm positive. As much as I love the sun and sand, you two lovebirds need some alone time."

Kate barely stopped herself from blushing, but Castle grinned, and wound his arm around his newly-found girlfriends waist. "I do owe you a huge thank you, though. If it wasn't for you there's no way Kate would be here now. Consider yourself allowed free access to this beach house, whenever you feel like it."

Lanie's eyebrows raised and she looked at Kate. "Damn, Becks. You have a pretty good taste in men."

Kate laughed, and leaned into Castle. She wasn't really comfortable with public displays of affection, but having all of her dreams seemingly coming true loosened her up a little bit. It had been two days since Lanie had forced her to come to the Hamptons. Two days since Castle had told her that he was hers. Two days since she became one of the happiest girls in the world.

"She does, doesn't she?" Castle said. "I'm certainly a catch."

"Shut up, Castle." Kate rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the side. He feigned pain.

Lanie rolled her eyes at them. "You're children. Both of you." Then she smiled. "That doesn't stop me from lovin' ya. C'mon, Becks, I deserve a hug for all the trouble I went to."

Beckett laughed, but extracted herself from Castle's arm and hugged her best friend. "Thanks for everything, Lanie." She said. "I'll see you in the fall?"

"Yes you will." Lanie said. Kate started pulling back, but Lanie tightened her grip and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I expect to see a diamond on your finger when you come back. I'll start picking out my Maid of Honor dress now."

Castle watched the two women warily. He could hear Lanie whispering something, but he couldn't quite make out what it was. When Lanie and Kate finally let go of each other, Lanie was smiling like the Cheshire Cat and Kate's cheeks had a distinctly red tint.

Castle was about to question them when Gina made her entrance, suitcases in her hands. She had been disgruntled when she found out about what happened with Kate, and Castle offered to let her stay here for the rest of the summer without him. She had politely turned down the offer, saying that she'd rather go back to the city and that he should stay with Kate. The two had shared a brief, friendly, hug and Gina had decided to leave with Lanie.

"Richard Castle," She said, dropping the suitcases beside her and pointing at him. "I swear to God, if that book isn't finished by the end of the summer, I will personally rip out your eyeballs and fill the empty sockets with wasps."

Castle cringed. "You've always had a way with words, Gina."

She smiled, her tough exterior fading a little. "Yeah, well, I learned a long time ago that the only thing that works with you is threatening bodily harm." She turned towards Kate, and held out her hand. The surprised detective shook it, and the two women exchanged small smiles. "_Please_ make sure he gets the book done. It's my ass on the line, too, Rick."

"Get the book done," Lanie piped up, "but make sure you spend plenty of time doing each other, too."

Castle and Becket both fidgeted awkwardly, avoiding each other's gaze.

Gina let out an appreciative laugh and looked at Lanie. "You know, I've always liked you."

"Good, because we have a three hour drive to get to know each other." Lanie said. "And, for the record, I change my mind about you. You really aren't a cold hearted bitch-cow."

Gina blinked, but Lanie had already disappeared out the front door.

Castle grabbed Gina's suitcases for her, and trailed behind the two woman who made their way out to where Lanie was waiting by her car. After Lanie and Gina were all buckled in and the suitcases were stowed safely in the trunk, Castle made his way back over to Beckett and easily took her hand. She smiled. The two of them waved as Lanie and Gina backed out of the driveway, disappearing from view a few moments later.

"Well," Castle said, turning to Kate. "it looks like we're finally alone."

Beckett let her hands wrap easily around his neck and smiled. "What do you want to do?"

"I have a few suggestions." He leaned down and kissed her softly.

Beckett smiled against his lips. Things usually didn't work out the way she wanted them to, so it was nice to get what she desperately wanted for once. It was nice to love Castle, and have him love her back. She hadn't been this excited for the summer since she was a little girl and got out of school.

This was the beginning of a whole new chapter of her life.


End file.
